title: Dietary diversity of formal and informal residents in Johannesburg, South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper considers the question of dietary diversity as a proxy for nutrition insecurity in communities living in the inner city and the urban informal periphery in Johannesburg. It argues that the issue of nutrition insecurity demands urgent and immediate attention by policy makers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was undertaken for households from urban informal (n = 195) and urban formal (n = 292) areas in Johannesburg, South Africa. Foods consumed by the respondents the previous day were used to calculate a Dietary Diversity Score; a score < 4 was considered low.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical comparisons of means between groups revealed that respondents from informal settlements consumed mostly cereals and meat/poultry/fish, while respondents in formal settlements consumed a more varied diet. Significantly more respondents living in informal settlements consumed a diet of low diversity (68.1%) versus those in formal settlements (15.4%). When grouped in quintiles, two-thirds of respondents from informal settlements fell in the lowest two, versus 15.4% living in formal settlements. Households who experienced periods of food shortages during the previous 12 months had a lower mean DDS than those from food secure households (4.00 ± 1.6 versus 4.36 ± 1.7; p = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Respondents in the informal settlements were more nutritionally vulnerable. Achieving nutrition security requires policies, strategies and plans to include specific nutrition considerations.
authors.affiliation: Human Nutrition, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Avenue, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. scottdrimie@mweb.co.za.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drimie
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vearey
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nunez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013019:South Africa; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult